DigitalOcean vs Linode (Akamai)
For a 1 GB server Linode is $1 a month cheaper, about $36 over three years. DigitalOcean has the cheaper 512 MiB entry, more cities in our data and is a little easier to start with.
What each one costs
Cheapest plan we have on file for each, USD per month. The 3-year total uses the intro price for the required term, then the renewal price.
DigitalOcean: Basic Droplet Regular 512 MiB. Checked on digitalocean.com, 13 Oct 2026.
Linode (Akamai): Shared CPU Nanode 1 GB. Checked on akamai.com, 13 Oct 2026.
How they compare on our estimates
Editorial estimates on a 1 to 5 scale, not test results. How we estimate
Side by side
DigitalOcean droplets and Linode (now part of Akamai) Nanodes are the same kind of product: a small self-managed server billed by the hour, with no intro price and no step-up. The differences are small and specific.
Entry price
$4 a month for Basic Droplet Regular 512 MiB, the same when it renews.
$5 a month for Shared CPU Nanode 1 GB, the same when it renews.
Management
Self-managed (cloud server).
Self-managed (cloud server).
Data centres
North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America.
Extras
No cPanel, no email.
No cPanel, no email.
Which one is for you
Pick DigitalOcean if
- You want the cheapest way in: a 512 MiB droplet at $4 a month for small tests
- You want a slightly easier start (our estimate: 3 of 5 for ease, against 2)
- You want more cities to choose from: 8 DigitalOcean cities against 5 Linode cities on our latency chart
Pick Linode (Akamai) if
- You want 1 GB of RAM for $5 a month rather than $6
- You need a data centre in South America
- You already use Akamai, which owns Linode
Where their data centres are
By region. A faded logo means no data centre there in our data.
- North AmericaDigitalOcean: yesLinode (Akamai): yes
- EuropeDigitalOcean: yesLinode (Akamai): yes
- AsiaDigitalOcean: yesLinode (Akamai): yes
- OceaniaDigitalOcean: yesLinode (Akamai): yes
- South AmericaDigitalOcean: noLinode (Akamai): yes
- Middle EastDigitalOcean: noLinode (Akamai): no
- AfricaDigitalOcean: noLinode (Akamai): no
True of both
- Both are self-managed: you install and patch the server
- Neither includes email or cPanel
- Linode prices vary by region; the $5 figure is for its main European locations
Your priorities change the answer.
Set how much price, support, speed and ease matter to you and see the scores move.
Compare these twoQuestions about this matchup
Is DigitalOcean or Linode (Akamai) cheaper?
On the cheapest plans we have on file, DigitalOcean costs about $144 over three years and Linode (Akamai) about $180, counting the intro term and the renewal price. Plans differ in what they include, so compare the plan details too.
What do DigitalOcean and Linode (Akamai) renew at?
DigitalOcean's entry plan renews at $4 a month (no change from $4). Linode (Akamai)'s renews at $5 a month (no change from $5).
Which has more data centre regions?
DigitalOcean has data centres in 4 of the 7 regions we track (North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania); Linode (Akamai) in 5 (North America, Europe, Asia, Oceania and South America).
Do DigitalOcean and Linode (Akamai) include email?
DigitalOcean does not include email, and Linode (Akamai) does not include email, according to our data.